controlling cymbal bleed

hi everyone,

i'm looking for a few tips on how to get rid of cymbal bleed through tom mics. throughout all my time recording and mixing, the one thing i always have trouble with is this.

i try and eq the cymbals out but the frequencies i need to cut tend to be the ones which add attack to the toms resulting in the toms sounding muffled. so when i try and add attack and some brightness to the toms, the cymbals come out too much and sound a bit harsh.

i've tried editing each tom track which works some times but for certain tracks where there are quick tom rolls with cymbal crashes mixed in, you can hear the edits in the mix. i've also tried gates but this has the same effect.

has anyone got any tips on how to deal with this problem. what eg settings do you guys use? i could do with comparing someone elses settings to mine

thanks

better to use a good de-esser than EQ.
 
The video I just posted about the snare should actually work on toms as well, although I have not tried it personally yet.
 
I just gate with a sidechain eq before going in. Before that I was doing quick fade in and out before and after ever drum hit.
Bleed should be not an issue any more. There is several ways to attack this. But you should keep in mind that the pleasant sounding harmonics are not going to be picked up at the drum mic, rather it gets picked up in the overheads. When I teach others how to mix drums, I tell them to start with the overheads. then fill in the kick, then the snare, and finally the toms and other percussion. If you place you overheads correctly, your drum mix should be around75% overheads and 25% the rest of the kit.
 
It's really hard.. sometimes a trigger just does the job. If I am recording the song, I always sample the Snare and Kick drum that was used. Second thing you could try a downwards expander or a Multiband Gate like the one in iZotope Neutron
 
This will get a laugh but it works. I wrap mics in a material that will filter highs, using just a rubber band. Wash cloths work, doubled up ie folded. Go ahead and laugh.
 
If you are having a bad bleed problem, listen to just the overheads. If the hat is louder than the snare, you are using the wrong hat, wrong snare, or you are playing with improper dynamics. Same goes with crashes and toms.

If the overheads sound right, then you ave a placement problem. (The cymbals are too close to the drums or the Mic position is bad)
 
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